education

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books

From This Day by Nora Roberts



Goodreads Rating: 3.56/5
My Rating: 3/5

Goodreads Synopsis: Like the lovely Vermont inn she managed, B.J. Clark was charming and old-fashioned.  And she had no intention of allowing the new owner, hotel tycoon Taylor Reynolds, to modernize her beloved inn and destroy its uniqueness.  Taylor lived in a fast-paced, high-tech sophisticated life.  But his fascination with this innocent enchantress made him long to live in B.J.'s arms from this day until forever.

My Review: I'm a big fan of Nora Roberts, especially her Bride Quartet series, but this book didn't capture my fancy like her other books.  I'm going to attribute that to the fact that this book is older, written in 1983, so her writing style has definitely progressed over the years.  Overall, this book wasn't bad, just not as good as her others when compared.  This story about B.J., an inn owner, reminded me of the TV series Gilmore Girls in many more ways than one.  Taylor's character was a bit overwhelming and aggressive, which made parts of the story a bit unpleasant to read.  However, it was a nice story.
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Life's a Beach by Claire Cook



Goodreads Rating: 3.05/5
My Rating: 2/5

Goodreads Synopsis: Life's a bit of a beach these days for Ginger Walsh, who's single at forty-one and living back home in the family FROG (Finished Room Over Garage).  She's hoping for a more fulfilling life as a sea glass artist, but instead is babysitting her sister's kids and sharing overnights with Noah, her sexy artist boyfriend with commitment issues and a dog Ginger's cat isn't too crazy about.  Geri, her Blackberry-obsessed sister, is also nearly over the deep end about her pending fiftieth birthday (and might just drag Ginger with her).  Toss in a dumpster-picking father, a Kama Sutra T-shirt-wearing mother, a movie crew come to town with a very cute gaffer, an on-again-off-again glassblower boyfriend, plus a couple of Red Hat realtors, and hilarity ensues.  The perfect summer read, Life's a Beach is a warm, witty, and wise look at what it takes to move forward at any stage in life.

My Review: This was the first book I have read by Claire Cook, and I, unfortunately, wasn't impressed.  I've got a few other books of hers on my to-read list, so I hope those are better.  This book was just...eh...okay.  I read the book pretty fast, but it wasn't because I was enjoying it.  I actually had a hard time getting interested in the storyline and just tried to read fast to get through it.  I didn't find the characters to be very interesting and there was too much focus on glassblowing - of which I have no interest.  

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Sarah's Choice by Rebecca St. James and Nancy Rue

**I was provided with a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.  Sarah's Choice releases on May 27, 2014.**

Sarah's Choice by Rebecca St. James and Nancy Rue



Goodreads Rating: 4.20/5
My Rating: 4/5

Goodreads Synopsis: Sarah is about to receive a promotion that will give her everything she's ever wanted: a huge pay increase, a new car, a fabulous apartment, and first-class travel. 
     But then she discovers she's pregnant.  And while she "thinks" she loves her boyfriend, Matt, she isn't sure he's mature enough to be a responsible father.  And the job she's pursuing is open only because the previous employee is out on maternity leave.  Sarah would never be able to handle the travel as a single mom.
     Torn between advice from her coworkers, the insistence of her mother and sister that she keep the baby, her insecurity about her relationship with Matt, and the void where her father should be, Sarah has no idea how to make this decision.
     A Christmas card from a mysterious old woman is the catalyst for three visions of her future - and just may be the miracle she needs.  But can she trust the visions?  Are they the yearnings of a conflicted heart?  Or are they true visions from the God she thought had turned His back on her?

My Review: This is one of those books that you can't put down.  The emotions and connections between the characters are so real, that it's hard to not want to read on and see what happens between them.  With a storyline that is relatable to so many women today, this story is one that I think all women should read.  I really enjoyed reading about Sarah and Matt's relationship and watching them go through struggles and ultimately grow as a couple.  This was a great story that talks about a tough issue, in a not so tough way.  

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Honeymoon in Paris by Juliette Sobanet



Goodreads Rating: 3.88/5
My Rating: 4/5

Goodreads Synopsis: The sassy heroine of Sleeping with Paris is back!  And this time, chocolate-covered French wedding bells are in the air...
     It's only been a month since Charlotte Summers reunited with her sexy French boyfriend, Luc Olivier, and he has already made her the proposal of a lifetime: a mad dash to the altar in the fairytale town of Annecy.  Without hesitation, Charlotte says au revoir to single life and oui to a lifetime of chocolate in bed with Luc.  She's madly in love, and Luc is clearly the one, so what could possibly go wrong?
     And it turns out, quite a lot...  On the heels of their drama-filled nuptials in the French Alps, Luc whisks Charlotte away to Paris for a luxurious honeymoon.  But just as they are settling into a sheet-ripping, chocolate-induced haze, a surprise appearance by Luc's drop-dead gorgeous ex-wife brings the festivities to a dead halt.  Luc never told Charlotte that his ex was a famous French actress, or that she was still in love with him.  Add to that Charlotte's new role as step-mom to Luc's tantrum-throwing daughter, a humiliating debacle in the French tabloids, and the threat of losing her coveted position at the language school -- and Charlotte fears she may have tied the French knot a little too quickly.
     Determined to keep her independence and her sanity, Charlotte seeks out a position at Bella magazine's new France office while working on a sassy guidebook to French marriage.  But when Luc's secret past threatens Charlotte's career and their future together, Charlotte must take matters into her own hands.  Armed with chocolate, French wine, and a few fabulous girlfriends by her side, CHarlotte navigates the tricky waters of marriage, secrets, ex-wives, and a demanding career all in a foreign country where she quickly realizes, she never truly learned the rules.

My Review: I didn't realize until after I finished this story that it was a follow up to a previous story about Charlotte, the main character.  While it would have been nice to read the previous story to learn more about Charlotte, I don't feel like I missed out on too many important details.  It was easy to pick up the second book without having read the first.  I really enjoyed this story.  This was a fast read that let you read about the luxurious lives of Charlotte and her new husband Luc as they set up their new lives in Paris.  There was a bit of suspense towards the end of the book, that I definitely did not expect, but enjoyed!  This was a happy-go-lucky story of a romance that withstands tough trials in today's world.  I can't wait to read more about Charlotte and Luc in the future!
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50 Books from 50 States: Another Book Challenge

Lately, I've been all about the reading and book challenges!  I'm participating in Megan's 2014 Summer Book Challenge (and doing an awesome job so far!!) and recently she just announced another fun challenge!  I knew that I had to join in!  This challenge is co-hosted by Keeping Up With Kelsey and Semi-Charmed Kind of Life!  The goal of this fun challenge is to read one book set in each state!  And, since it can be hard to complete this, they've decided to allow you to add books that you have read since 2012!  This will also be fun to go back in the archives and refresh my memory on some books I've previously read!

Here are the rules:
- Please be courteous and follow the hosts Keeping Up With Kelsey & Semi-Charmed Kind of Life
- Check out others who are linking up, make sure to encourage them and even give them some book ideas!
- We'll make this a bi-monthly link-up to check in and see how you're doing.
- We will link up the 15th of every other month and will of course give you guys a few days heads up to join in on the fun as a reminder.
- Each book must be at least 200 pages long.  Audio books are fine, as long as the print versions meet the page requirements.  Large-print books are also acceptable, as long as the regular-print version exceeds 200 pages in length.
- Our goal end date is 5/15/15 but we'll check when the date comes closer to see how everyone is doing and if we need to extend the deadline.

Below is my preliminary list for this challenge.  I'll be updating this list along the way!

Alabama:
Alaska:
Arizona:
Arkansas:
California:
Colorado:
Connecticut:
Delaware:
Florida:
Georgia:
Hawaii:
Idaho:
Illinois: Divergent by Veronica Roth (Chicago, Illinois) Read 4/25/14
Indiana:
Iowa:
Kansas:
Kentucky:
Louisiana:
Maine:
Maryland:
Massachusetts: Night Swim by Jessica Keener (Boston, Massachusetts) Read 1/29/14
Michigan:
Minnesota:
Mississippi:
Missouri: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (Carthage, Missouri) Read 1/12/14
Montana:
Nebraska:
Nevada:
New Hampshire:
New Jersey:
New Mexico:
New York: A Place at the Table by Susan Rebecca White (Manhattan, New York) Read 3/3/14
North Carolina:
North Dakota:
Ohio:
Oklahoma:
Oregon:
Pennsylvania:
Rhode Island:
South Carolina:
South Dakota: The Personal History of Rachel DuPree by Ann Weisgarber (Badlands, South Dakota) Read 5/11/14
Tennessee: The Bridge by Karen Kingsbury (Franklin, Tennessee) Read 12/7/13
Texas:
Utah:
Vermont: From This Day by Nora Roberts (Vermont) Read 5/4/14
Virginia:
Washington: Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James (Washington) Read 1/25/14 
West Virginia:
Wisconsin:
Wyoming:




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Teacher Planners...what do you want?

I sat down last night and started making a planner for next year!  I'm hoping to also share this planner on TpT once I'm finished (and I'll probably give some away, yay!)  I've been wanting to make a planner for a while now, but didn't plan on doing it last night.  I think the stress of today's SOL tests got me wanting to be creative and 'unstress' my mind!  Anyways, this is what I started creating!  It's going to be a super fun, super cute teacher planner (or planner for anyone, really!)  Teachers, moms, everyone...what do you look for when buying/using a digital, printable planner?  What features do you like to have included in your planners?  


What do you think?
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The Children's Machine by Seymour Papert




Goodreads Rating: 3.95/5
My Rating: 4/5

Goodreads Synopsis: In his classic book, Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and powerful Ideas, Seymour Papert set out a vision of how computers could change school.  In The Children's Machine he now looks back over a decade during which American schools acquired more than three million computers and assesses progress and resistance to progress.

My Review: I was required to read this for a graduate course.  As most students, I was dreading getting into this book, even though I love reading, because I thought it was going to be a tedious, boring piece of literature.  However, I was wrong.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading Papert's views on technology in the classroom.  I do wish the setting was a little more current, as this book was written in 1993, so the lingo is a bit old, however, the basic ideas are the same today.  Papert spent a great deal of time discussing the use of technology in the classrooms, student-centered learning, teacher-centered teaching, etc.  This is a great read for teachers in K-12 classrooms today!

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Sunday Social

Please check out the host's of the Sunday Social link up: Ashley Lately and A Complete Waste of Makeup!


1. What is your best summer memory as a kid?
My best summer memory as a kid would be the vacations my family took.  We've been to some pretty awesome places.  But, my favorite is Disney World.  We often traveled to DW for vacation and it is definitely one (or many!) of my best memories as a kid!  Below is a photo from my most recent DW trip (last year).


2. What is your favorite summer drink?
A nice cold glass of sweet tea or an iced coffee.  

3. What is your favorite summer TV show?
The only show that I'm looking forward to watching this summer is The Next Food Network Star (which premieres on July 1).  I would have Pretty Little Liars on the list, but I no longer get ABC Family :(

4. What is the best outdoor summer activity?
Although I don't do it often (because I don't have a bike right now), I'd love to say bike rides!  I'm hoping to get a bike sometime this summer, though, so I can make that happen!  I'm loving this bike below (from WalMart)!



5. What are your summer vacation essentials?
A good book, my camera, and plenty of sunscreen!  No matter where I'm vacationing, these three things are must haves!

That's all for today!  Have a great week!
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Divergent by Veronica Roth



Goodreads Rating: 4.36/5
My Rating: 4/5

Goodreads Synopsis:  In Beatrice Brior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue - Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent).  On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives.  For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is - she can't have both.  So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made.  Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences.  As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are - and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen.  But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death.  And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves...or it might destroy her.

My Review: Let me start off by saying this...I hate Harry Potter and I'm boycotting The Hunger Games.  Don't ask me why...I just am.  I was planning on avoiding reading these books, however, I went to the movies with some friends who were planning on watching Divergent.  I decided to go - only to give myself something to do, rather than sitting at home.  I'm so glad I did!  I absolutely fell in love with the movie - so I had to come home and start reading Divergent immediately.  Now, had I of read the book before the movie, I feel that my rating might have been slightly lower.  There were some concepts/events in the book that I only understood because I had seen the movie.  If I had read the book first, I feel that I would still have some questions following the reading of the book.  Regardless, I'm loving this book and I can't wait to read the other two in the series!

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Donors Choose....I need your help!

Hey everyone!  I've got a project over on DonorsChoose.org that is set to expire in three days!  I'm about halfway to my goal, and I'd appreciate any help you may be able to offer!  If you are financially able to make a donation, even $5-10 is greatly appreciated!  Your support will help my students in ways I can't even describe!  My students and I will be forever grateful for any support towards our project!  If you aren't able to help, please consider passing off this information to a friend who may be able to lend a hand!  

Thank you very much!!


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Night Swim by Jessica Keener



Goodreads Rating: 3.3/5
My Rating: 2/5

Goodreads Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Sarah Kunitz lives in a post, suburban world of 1970 Boston.  From the outside, her parents' lifestyle appears enviable - a world defined by cocktail parties, expensive cards, and live-in maids to care for their children - but inside their five-bedroom house, all is not well for the Kunitz family.  Coming home from school, Sarah finds her well-dressed, pill popping mother lying disheveled on their living room couch.  At night, to escape their parents' arguments, Sarah and her oldest brother, Peter, find solace in music, while her two younger brothers retreat to their rooms and imaginary lives.  Any vestige of decorum and stability drains away when their mother dies in a car crash one terrible winter day.  Soon after, their father, a self-absorbed, bombastic professor begins an affair with a younger colleague.  Sarah, aggrieved, dives into two summer romances that lead to unforeseen consequences.  In a story that will make you laugh and cry, Night Swim shows how a family, bound by heartache, learns to love again.

My Review: Disappointment is the only word I have for this book.  The only reason that I gave this story a two-star rating, as opposed to a one-star, is that I reserve my one-star ratings for books that I couldn't finish.  I did finish this book, but it wasn't easy.  I stumbled across this book on Goodreads and thought that it sounded so promising.  However, it was a book that I just had to fly through just so I could finish it and move on to the next book.  And I hate when I have that feeling about a book.  I finished reading this story a few months before writing the review, and I honestly can't remember much about the story - it was that forgettable.  The writing wasn't good and it never seemed to draw me in.  I (unfortunately) wouldn't recommend this book.

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Happy Wives Club by Fawn Weaver


**I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.**


Goodreads Rating: 4.27/5
My Rating: 4/5

Goodreads Synopsis: One woman undertakes a worldwide search to learn the secrets of a great marriage - and finds one foundational truth that could change everything.
   Fawn weaver was a happily married woman running a successful business -- and then something happened.  Maybe it was divorce rate reports on the  evening news, "The Real Housewives of Orange County," or any daytime talk show where husbands and wives dramatically reveal their betrayals.  Everywhere she looked, Fawn saw negative portrayals of marriage dominating the airwaves and dooming everyone to failure.
    Looking at Keith, the love of her life, she knew that wasn't true.  She was determined to find and connect with women just like her -- happy and optimistic about marriage, deeply in love with her spouse, and committed to building a strong marriage that stands the test of time.
    On a whim, she started the blog HappyWivesClub.com and sent the link to a few of her friends.  What started as a casual invitation to five women exploded into an international online club with 150,000 members in more than 100 countries.
    "Happy Wives Club" is Fawn's journey across the world to meet her friends and discover what makes their marriages great.  Join her on this exciting, exotic trip across six continents and through more than eighteen cities.  Walk the streets of Mauritius, the historic ruins in Italy, and the vistas of New Zealand and Australia.  Go from Cape Town to London, Manila to Buenos Aires, WInnipeg to Zagreb.
    Along the way, you will meet everyday women whose marriage secrets span cultures.  You will hear their stories, witness their love, and be inspired by the proof that happy, healthy marriages do exist -- and yours can be one of them!
    It turns out great marriages are all around us -- when we look for them.  Go on a trip with Fawn and learn the best marriage secrets the world has to offer.

My Review: In this book, you'll meet Fawn and travel with her on an exiting mission to find the secret to a happy marriage.  Even though I am not married, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.  In this humorous account of her journeys, you'll travel with Fawn all around the globe, and will read as she visits with happy couples, whom she has just met, as they tell her all about the secrets to their happy marriages.  Fawn has a way of writing this book that makes you feel as if you were right there with her as she interviews her new friends.  I would recommend this book to everyone, even those of us who aren't married!  I think that even the single gals could learn a thing or two from this wonderful story!  





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Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James



Goodreads Rating: 3.66/5
My Rating: 3/5

Goodreads Synopsis: When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating.  The unwordly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him.  Unable to resist Ana's quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too -- but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates.  For all the trappings of success - his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family -- Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control.  When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey's secrets and explores her own dark desires. 

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.  This book is intended for mature audiences.

My Review: Everyone and their sister was reading this book.  I wasn't planning on reading this story.  But I continued to see that people were reading (and loving) this book.  Even people who I didn't expect to read (or love) this type of story.  So, I figured I'd give it a chance.  It was an easy read - finished it in about two days - but I wasn't too impressed.  Skip "THOSE" parts of the story (yes, you know what I'm talking about) and it wasn't a bad storyline...but it could have used a little something extra.  Maybe I was generous with a three-star rating.  Will I read the other two stories?  I don't know.  I definitely won't buy them...but I might pick them up on a rainy day. 

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Sunday Social

It's been awhile since I've gotten around to completing a Sunday Social.  And since it's Saturday night and the company I had over for a cookout just left, I figured now was a good time to unwind by answering today's Sunday Social questions!  Here goes!

1.  Who do you call when you need to vent?
Goodness, I feel like I've done a lot of this lately!  But usually my mom or a close friend - depends on what the venting was all about!

2. Where do you go when you need alone time?
My house. Seriously!  More accurately, my front porch!  It's just so peaceful out here!

3. What is your favorite alone time activity?
Without a doubt, it's reading!

4. What is something we should all stop and read right now?
Anything by Karen Kingsbury.  She's fabulous!!

5. Who do you wish would read your blog that doesn't already?  Family?  Celeb?
Well, I adore YoungHouseLove!  I'm hoping to get more home DIY stuff up on the blog soon - so once that happens, I'd love for them to read along.  But we can all dream, right?!  haha




That's it for this week's social!  Have a great week everyone!

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May Currently

Oh my!  How is it already May??  Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining...this means we are that much closer to the summer!  But it really feels like the year just started!  Anyways, since it's a new month, it's time again to link up with Farley at Oh' Boy, Fourth Grade!


Listening: To Chicago Fire!  Love this show!  It just keeps getting better!  Check it out if you haven't seen it before!

Loving: That my first semester of grad school is finished!  I'm working on my Master's in Instructional Technology and I'm taking courses online from Virginia Tech!  And...my grades for the first semester are awesome!!  I'm so excited for my future in this program and to learn all kinds of great things!

Thinking: That summer is never going to arrive!  We are so close, yet so far!  With SOLs in the way...time is dragging on!

Wanting: To travel!  My family and I are taking an amazing trip to Europe this summer (yay!!)!  I love to travel and I can't wait for this trip to get here!

Needing: A change...motivation...something.  It's getting rough at school and I really just need some prayers from all you wonderful people!  :)

Surprise: Courtney from Polka Dot Lesson Plans!  She is a fellow Virginia teacher and she has all kinds of great ideas for in the classroom!  I love following her blog and her instagram page!  Check her out, you won't be sorry!!  Click the link on her blog button below if you are interested!


Polka Dot Lesson Plans

And, here's Farley's blog button if you are interested in checking out her blog to join in on the Currently link up!

Have a happy May, everyone!
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May Goals

How is it possible that May is here?  It seems like just yesterday we were welcoming in the new year!!  I'm hoping to get back to this blogging-thing and be more consistent.  I need to hold myself more accountable so that I can dust off the cobwebs that have formed on this blog!  

(There's no real reason I chose this photo...It's just that I'm dreaming of summer and a time when the flowers are all in bloom.  Come on gorgeous weather, where are you!?!?)

Here are my goals for May:

- Read three books.
- Spend no money (except for gas, bills, and groceries).
- Start Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred (again!).
- Catch up on the Daily Bible Readings.
- Successfully run my third 5K.
- Blog at least twice a week.

That's it!  Let's see if I can complete these goals!

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